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Howdidudothat
Howdidudothat
Join Date 04/2008
+34

An Idea for Cap Ship Abilities

February 4, 2009 11:59:35 AM from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

This is something that has irked me to no end for so long, I can't believe I am finally asking for it to be fixed.  Whenever your cap ship levels up and you pick the ability you want (level 1 ability only, as your auto-cast is on/off by the time you pick 2 and 3), the ability then IMMEDIATELY goes off.  For example, let's say your level 3 egg with 1 for colonization and 2 for nano-bomb and your egg just leveled up after destroying a pirate and is now level 4.  When you go to select grav bomb, it IMMEDIATELY targets the pirates, that's dumb.  (Same stupid thing with other abilities like repair cloud, shield regen, ion bolt, etc.  It's systemic.)

Now I know that a lot of players like auto-cast, and I am not suggesting the default be changed.  What I am suggesting is that newly aquired abilities are put on a  5 second timer so that it can be turned off prior to its going off and wasting AM.  Five seconds will be more than enough time for those of us that do not use auto-cast to turn off auto-cast before it aquires it's first target.

Thank you for your consideration.

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Howdidudothat
Annatar11
Join Date 11/2006
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Reply #1 February 4, 2009 12:13:26 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

That's irked me more than a few times, as well It's especially bad in the very early game, at least for me, and the space whale since the first pick is always colonize and the second is nano-disassembler, which immediately goes off on a near-dead neutral cobalt or something and wastes precious antimatter

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Howdidudothat
Howdidudothat
Join Date 04/2008
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Reply #2 February 4, 2009 12:19:47 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Yeah, I just don't even select the ability until either 1) I need it, or 2) after the pirates are gone.  However, this trick doesn't work for shield regen and repair cloud.  The other disadvantage using this trick is that sometimes you forget to select the ability and your cap is flying slightly handicapped.

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MindsEye
Join Date 05/2008
+7
Reply #3 February 4, 2009 1:48:11 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Well this has bothered me but I can sometimes time it so that it dont go off but u have to right click almost same time as you pick it.

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traveurysm
Join Date 02/2008
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Reply #4 February 4, 2009 1:49:58 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

I always wait to buy Clairvoyance until my Revelation is in phase space and I'll have time to turn off auto-cast. I agree - this could stand some fixing.

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Astax
Join Date 04/2003
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Reply #5 February 4, 2009 2:00:48 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

I actually minidumped because I pciked new ability and rightclicked to turn off autocast real fast, but I guess the ability stillw ent off and my game exploded.

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MindsEye
Join Date 05/2008
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Reply #6 February 4, 2009 2:04:05 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

lol that has never happened to me

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Howdidudothat
Howdidudothat
Join Date 04/2008
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Reply #7 February 4, 2009 2:19:20 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Well this has bothered me but I can sometimes time it so that it dont go off but u have to right click almost same time as you pick it.

You must have a super awesome mouse.  I think I might have done that once or twice, but frankly, I can't click that fast.

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Darvin3
Join Date 12/2008
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Reply #8 February 4, 2009 8:59:03 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Auto-cast should be off by default on all capital ship abilities, end of story.  While we're at it, auto-cast should never override a manual order given by the player, either. 

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Howdidudothat
Howdidudothat
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Reply #9 February 5, 2009 9:12:50 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Auto-cast should be off by default on all capital ship abilities, end of story. While we're at it, auto-cast should never override a manual order given by the player, either.

While every skilled player would agree with you, think about all of the beginners out there.  They need auto-cast to do most of their work for them.  Once they learn the game, they can turn it off.

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Sole Soul
Join Date 12/2007
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Reply #10 February 5, 2009 9:56:10 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting -OW- Athena,
reply 4
I always wait to buy Clairvoyance until my Revelation is in phase space and I'll have time to turn off auto-cast. I agree - this could stand some fixing.

Clairvoyance, at least, shouldn't be on auto-cast.

That's just stupid.  How the hell is auto-cast supposed to know what planet I want a visual on?

Quoting Darvin3,
reply 8
Auto-cast should be off by default on all capital ship abilities, end of story.  While we're at it, auto-cast should never override a manual order given by the player, either. 

Quoting Howdidudothat,
reply 9
While every skilled player would agree with you, think about all of the beginners out there.  They need auto-cast to do most of their work for them.  Once they learn the game, they can turn it off.

In that case, would it be possible to have a global setting toggle for autocast on/off for those abilities which autocast is auto on for?  Or even a global setting toggle for autocast on/off for all abilities?

It might be more work than it's worth, though.

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Howdidudothat
Howdidudothat
Join Date 04/2008
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Reply #11 February 5, 2009 10:15:33 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

In that case, would it be possible to have a global setting toggle for autocast on/off for those abilities which autocast is auto on for? Or even a global setting toggle for autocast on/off for all abilities?

It might be more work than it's worth, though.

I have thought about that too, and I think I would make it my second choice if my first choice doesn't get implemented.

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traveurysm
Join Date 02/2008
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Reply #12 February 5, 2009 12:22:52 PM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

I'm not a pro player but I've got many many hours of gaming under my belt (mostly SP). In general I leave autocast on for most of my ships. In fact I use it more than the default setting (like I autocast anima swarm, finest hour, etc; tho I sometimes cast it manually before the AI does it for me). But I don't mind having to turn on autocast and certainly wouldnt mind being able to set that in a game menu.

The really big issue is abilities that can/do get cast the moment you buy them, such as Clairvoyance. (Another example: buying shield restore abilities in the middle of a battle and watching them get cast too early/on a very poor choice of ships). And for me, the Revelation is a big part of my scouting - I give it its own number hotkey and manually cast each one as soon as I get the antimatter. Losing the first one on a planet I didnt want scouted or being forced to micromanage when I buy the ability makes me sad.

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Darvin3
Join Date 12/2008
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Reply #13 February 6, 2009 2:06:11 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

Quoting Howdidudothat,
reply 9

While every skilled player would agree with you, think about all of the beginners out there.  They need auto-cast to do most of their work for them.  Once they learn the game, they can turn it off.

When did I ever say there shouldn't be auto-cast?  I just said you should have to turn it on if you want it!  It's a matter of choice; a player can always choose to activate auto-cast, but in its current state I cannot choose to deactivate it until it's already used the ability once.  This takes away my ability as a player to make important strategic choices. 

 

 

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Howdidudothat
Howdidudothat
Join Date 04/2008
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Reply #14 February 6, 2009 8:52:43 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

When did I ever say there shouldn't be auto-cast? I just said you should have to turn it on if you want it! It's a matter of choice; a player can always choose to activate auto-cast, but in its current state I cannot choose to deactivate it until it's already used the ability once. This takes away my ability as a player to make important strategic choices.

I doubt noobs would know how to turn it off, that was my point.  Therefore, I suggest making it so the skilled players are required to do something.  Making noobs do something assumes they know how to do it.

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Darvin3
Join Date 12/2008
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Reply #15 February 6, 2009 11:16:42 AM
from Sins of a Solar Empire ForumsSins of a Solar Empire Forums

I doubt noobs would know how to turn it off, that was my point ... Making noobs do something assumes they know how to do it.

If someone doesn't know how to toggle auto-cast, they need a tutorial, not a feature to help them.  If they're that lost, then the issue of micromanagement and ease thereof is rather moot.

Ironically, when I was a newbie and first encountering this autocast behavior, I actually was caught offguard when my mothership automatically casted malice as soon as I added to it, depriving me of the ability to use shield regeneration at that critical moment.  This isn't necessarily a feature beneficial to beginners, either.  Just because you're new doesn't mean you won't want to manually control your units.

 

Therefore, I suggest making it so the skilled players are required to do something.

That wouldn't be a problem if there weren't consequences for the players who don't want auto-cast.  There are no consequences for someone who does want autocast and has to toggle it to get it; it's one click.  The way this is set up right now, it's taking away strategic choice from the player.

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